Friday, June 14, 2013Charlotte punter Daly commits to Texas
By William Wilkerson

All 2014 punter Corbin Daly (Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell) could do was wait on the comfortable couches of the Texas players lounge. For two and a half hours.

Meanwhile the Texas' coaches, somewhere in the back, were discussing whether or not to offer the 6-foot-3, 185-pound punter after a day spent booming punts high into the Austin sky at a Longhorns camp.

Finally, Daly was asked back into Texas head coach Mack Brown's office for the verdict.

“He took me in there with my mom and told me I was the best one he's seen and that he knew that it would have been a long way to come for him not to give me a scholarship,” Daly said. “He told me I earned it, and then he asked me if it would be OK with my mom, because it would be so far away. I told him that she would follow me anywhere I go to watch me play football. She said she would follow me to Texas. So I committed.”

Daly is the 17th member of Texas' 2014 class, which got commitment No. 16 on Thursday from receiver Dorian Leonard. A commitment from former TCU receivers pledge Emanuel Porter is expected at any moment.

Daly's wait in the players lounge was taxing. He'd just attended a camp at Alabama last week and saw the Crimson Tide offer another punter instead. He didn't want to leave Austin without an offer.

“I was a little worried. I didn't know what to expect,” he said. “I didn't know if it was going to be a good two and a half hours or a bad two and a half hours.”

It turned out to be a great couple of hours to cap a whirlwind few days for Daly. He didn't start to hear from Texas until this week.

“Coach [Major] Applewhite actually Facebooked me on Monday or Tuesday and asked if there was any way he could make it to Texas, because we are really interested in you and might have a scholarship for you,” he said.

Daly showed up alright and dazzled with punt after punt right in front of Applewhite, Brown and several other coaches.

“Having to kick in front of all the coaches made me step up my game that much more,” he said.

As a result, through a little waiting, he earned himself a full ride to Texas and couldn't be happier.

“I grew up loving Texas football, because I knew it was the biggest and the baddest,” he said. “It feels great. I can't wait to play for that school. I can't wait for the state of Texas.”